


The Three R's of Redemption

by TheKrystalSakura



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Season 13 spoilers, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-28 18:51:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7652776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKrystalSakura/pseuds/TheKrystalSakura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Post-Season 13, Alternate Ending)</p><p>Felix McScouty has been on the down-low ever since he was thrown off the communications tower six years ago. However, his little secret may be revealed when he is confronted with an all-too-familiar face - that of Locus, the father of his son.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Recognition

Felix smiled as he walked down the street, holding his son's hand. It'd been a trying six years since the fall. Since... Well... Since Alexander was born. Felix looked so different from then - what with half of his face scarred heavily and most of his right side as well, but at least his voice was still similar. However, people didn't know. Chorus had moved on around him, and for that, he was grateful. His son didn't deserve to lose him. Felix looked down at Alex, smiling slightly. He distracted himself, thinking about the son he held so dear, and didn't notice that he was about to walk into someone until it was too late.

Locus stared at the man that he'd just run into, holding tightly onto a child's hand. He could almost recognize him... Suddenly, he realized something. The man had a full head of brown hair, its color similar to that of Felix's. His bangs draped over one half of his face, which seemed heavily scarred from what he could see. The man seemed nervous to see him, too, as if they'd met before. But it couldn't be Felix, right? He'd died when he was blown off the tower... Right? Besides, this guy had a son; there was no way this was his beloved Felix. Then again, looking at the child's skin color... He was obviously half-black, with his hot-chocolate complexion. Locus shook himself out of his thoughts, meeting the shorter man's eyes and asking, "Sorry about that. Are you alright?"

Felix stared at him, at first uncomprehending. It was harder to make out someone's face when you were half-blind - another gift from the fall and a result of the harsh scarring around his right eye - but then it clicked, and he took a step back, immediately placing himself in front of Alex. The boy was clearly confused by his father's sudden movements, but didn't say a word - after all, he  _was_ selectively mute.

"I don't know, do I  _look_ alright?" Felix grumbled, barely managing to keep his voice level. His son didn't need to hear half of what he wanted to say to Locus.

The aforementioned was confused. "Um, well, you do seem to have been hurt at some point..." he said, trying to calm the man down. However, it only had the opposite effect; the man's shoulders tensed and he clenched his jaw, almost as if he was holding something back. Locus held back a sigh and asked, "Excuse me, sir, but... I vaguely recognize you. Have we met before?"

"Yes, we have," Felix snapped back, his free hand slowly balling into a fist before relaxing once more. He clicked his tongue before replying. "And here I thought you had good eyesight."

Locus paused. That voice... It couldn't be. Felix was never usually this quiet... But Locus would know that angered voice anywhere. "Wait a minute... Felix?"

" _Nooo_ , it's me, Jim, from high school," Felix replied, voice dripping with venomous sarcasm. "Yes, it's me, you piece of-" He trailed off, remembering his son's presence and scowling darkly at Locus, hoping that every insult he was thinking was somehow being telepathically transmitted toward him.

Locus held back tears of both joy and despair at his beloved's name. Felix was alive and well, but... He was also severely injured. "Felix, I... I'm so sorry..." He held out his hand to Felix, hoping that he would take it. A sign of forgiveness, he'd hoped. "How about we get out of the street and talk about this somewhere private? My apartment's not far from here."

"'Sorry' doesn't cut it, Locus. It really doesn't," Felix replied coldly, glancing over his shoulder at his son when he tugged on the edge of his shirt. Felix had been walking him to school when he was interrupted by... This. Alex was going to be late if they didn't move along, and as much as he wanted to yell at Locus, he couldn't do it in front of his - no, their - son. "No. As much as I'd love to stay and yell at you, I've got a life to live. I'll swing back around here later, but for now? Go... Do whatever you traitors do," he hissed, gently nudging his son along past Locus. Alex glanced back at him after a moment. He definitely had Locus' eyes.

Locus gasped as his eyes met the child's. Those coffee-brown eyes... As the local transit bus pulled up, Locus had a choice to make. Turning away from the bus stop, he raced after the angered brunette. Once he finally caught up to him, he noticed where they were: the local elementary school. He watched as Felix gave the child a kiss on the forehead and waved him off, the boy racing up the school's front steps and into the brick building. While Felix was still distracted, he walked up to him and quietly asked, "He's our son, isn't he?"

Felix didn't reply to him for a few minutes, arms crossed and still staring at the school. Once nobody was in earshot, he whipped around to face Locus. "No, he's  _my_ son. You're his fucking sperm donor at best." And with that, he turned on his heel and stormed back the way they'd come. "Where's your fucking apartment?"

Locus sighed and reached out to take Felix's hand. He understood completely when the other instead pulled away, but it still stung. He sighed sadly and headed in the direction of his apartment, sending a quick text to his boss saying that he'd be taking a personal day - something he'd never done without being forced to. Once they arrived at the apartment complex, Locus led the way to the apartment labeled 307. He placed a key into the lock and turned it, receiving a click in reply. He opened the door and ushered the still-bitter Felix inside. "You have every right to be angry," he said, closing and locking the door. "So yell at me as long as you need."

"You're damn right I have every right to be angry!" he snapped back, crossing his arms - mostly to keep himself from punching the ever-living shit out of Locus. "You left me to  _die_ , Locus! What'd you expect me to do? Crawl back on my hands and knees?! Do you know how much pain you put me through?!"  _No,_ Felix added silently,  _No he didn't._

Locus flinched inwardly. He didn't exactly  _want_ Felix to die. He was just... So confused at the time. He'd heard that Felix was afraid of him, and he hadn't known what that meant. But now he did. Felix was afraid of betrayal.

"You're exactly right. I did something unbelievably stupid and uncaring. I didn't even know you were  _alive_ , so no, I didn't expect you to crawl back. You have no idea how long I cried after that..." He took a deep, shaky breath. "I know you want to hit me, so go ahead and do it. It's the least I deserve."

"If I hit you," Felix growled, "then you'll end up in the fucking hospital." After a deep breath, he continued. "Locus, I did so much more than cry after that... Tell me, asshole, did you even notice anything different all those years ago? Something, I dunno, a few months before you betrayed me?"

Locus paused to think. "Yes... I... I did. You seemed to be gaining a bit of weight." A pause. "You were pregnant, weren't you?" He wanted desperately to hold Felix, to let Felix cry or beat the absolute shit out of him. But he knew it wouldn't be that easy. He doubted Felix would get within an arm's length of him.

"Yeah... I was." Felix looked away, then, hugging himself tightly. He remembered the night of the fall all too well. It still haunted him, and arguably was what had taken over his dreams. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a full night's sleep. "Pregnant with twins."

"T... Twins...?" Locus asked, his eyes filling with tears. Oh God... There had only been one child with Felix. So that meant... Locus stopped breathing as the realization crashed down on him like a thousand-pound weight.

_One twin had died. And it was all his fault._

He collapsed to his knees, a river of tears running down his face. He could hardly breathe he was crying so hard. His child was dead, all because he was so damn confused. All because he was so careless. All because he'd listened to that...  _Thing,_ and let Tucker throw the grenade at Felix.

The last thing he remembered was Felix staring at him before he passed out.

 

It took a minute for Felix to move, at first. A part of him was almost happy that Locus was suffering from the realization. Almost. With a deep breath, Felix moved over to Locus, wrapping his arms around him and picking him up. It wasn't hard, despite the difference in their sizes. Years in the army and years of being a mercenary had given him a lot of strength. He put Locus on the couch and frowned down at him, once again crossing his arms.

A part of him wanted to hug him; to throw himself at Locus and cry, too... But he couldn't. Locus would just let him down again; betray him. How could he forgive him, as much as he wanted to?

He couldn't.

He shouldn't.

 

After a while, Locus woke up and realized that he was sprawled out on his couch. _How did I...?_ Then it clicked. He shot up, not caring about anything but  _finding Felix_. He raced through all the rooms, checking and re-checking for any sign of Felix. After looking through the main rooms, he finally decided to check the master bedroom. He flung open the door, and what he found made his heart stop.

Felix must have gone home while Locus was passed out, because a small box sat on the mattress. A small note was placed atop the box, an address written in Felix's handwriting and nothing more. One would assume it was his house... However, the brunette wasn't in the apartment.

Locus approached the box and sat on the mattress, slowly moving the note to the side. He opened the box and nearly started crying just at the sight of all the pictures. It was probably a fraction of what Felix truly had, but there were about three dozen in total. The absolute detail in each photo amazed him. He picked out a photo labeled  _"Alex - out of NICU"_ followed by a date around six years ago. Another photo, from only a year ago, was labeled  _"Alex - First Day of School."_ The next was labeled,  _"Alex and Daddy, Anniversary of Moving In."_ Felix looked so genuinely happy, holding onto a toddler with the camera pointed to both of their smiling faces in a stunning living room.

Locus was filled with determination and grief all at once. He quickly re-packed the photos and plugged the address into his phone.  _Twenty-three minutes walking..._  It would definitely be worth it.

By the time Locus arrived at the address, Felix was helping Alex with his homework. He was doing a lot better today, especially when it came to spelling. Felix did have to explain some of the light addition he'd been given, however. When he heard a knock at the door, he steeled himself, taking a deep breath and kissing Alex's head.

"I'll be right back, baby. Finish up that one problem and then we can watch some TV, okay?" Once he'd gotten a nod and a bright smile in reply, he headed to the door and opened it. "... Hey."

Locus was panting hard; by running a bit, he'd been able to cut off almost two minutes of time. "H... H... Hi," he managed to say between hard breaths, holding the box of pictures to Felix, "Thanks... For... The photos." After taking another moment to catch his breath, he stood upright and ran a hand through his hair. "Is, uh... Is Alex home? I noticed the school would have let out by now... So, you know, I'm just checking in. On both of you." He tried to give a nonchalant smile, but he was sure it looked more nervous and forced than anything.

Felix nodded and couldn't help his amused smile upon seeing the other man's exhausted state. "Yeah, he's home. Look, before you... Come in or whatever, there are a few things you've got to know. He's selectively mute, so don't be pissy if he's not a talker. He's also hard of hearing and seeing on his right side, so don't be too loud. Capiche?"

Locus nodded in understanding. "I doubted he'd talk to me anyway, since he doesn't know me. And I'll be sure to be careful when I'm on his right side." He restrained himself from giving Felix a kiss on his own injured side, knowing full well that all he'd get in return was a slap or an avoidance, and continued past, toeing off his shoes at the front door.

"Good," Felix replied, closing the door behind them and leading Locus into the dining room, where Alex sat writing out the final addition problem. Alex looked up when they came in, eyeing Locus with confusion. "Alex, this is Locus," Felix stated. The boy dropped his pencil and signed something to Felix, who nodded. "Yeah, same guy. Don't worry, he's... He's chill. I'm going to make some dinner, okay, sweetie? I'll be right here if you need me." Once he'd gotten a nod of confirmation, Felix left the room and Alex stared up at Locus.

Locus smiled down at his son, who said nothing in return. "Hello there, Alex," he said calmly, "What type of homework are you working on?"

The boy signed; luckily for Locus, his mother had been deaf, and so he knew what he was saying.

"Ah, some math? Looks like you're doing pretty good."

Alex signed a question, and Locus smiled sadly.

"How do I know your dad? We uh... We met at work and became friends. It's been a while since I saw him." Locus looked up to Felix, who was concentrated on cooking.

 _"He was mad at you earlier,"_ Alex signed, looking a little confused. For the moment, Felix seemed to be ignoring them.

Locus frowned as he recalled earlier that day. "That... Was because I was a fool. I did something very bad a long time ago." He held a hand out to his son. "He has every right to be mad at me. But I do still care about him, and you, as well."

If anything, Alex looked more confused at that, but put his work away.  _"Do you want to watch Lord of the Rings with me?"_ he signed before accepting Locus' hand, tilting in head in question.

Locus smiled. "Yeah. That sounds fun." He followed Alex into the living room, where the child placed the video into the DVD player and grabbed the remote, sitting on the couch and motioning for Locus to sit by him. When the man did, the boy clicked play, hugging a stuffed toy that was nearby. He'd obviously seen the trilogy several times over, but once the movie started he was enthralled nonetheless.

Locus couldn't help but smile at how happy Alex looked. If only he hadn't done that all those years ago... He shook himself out of his thoughts and did his best to focus on the movie.

It was half an hour later that Felix walked into the living room, gently nudging them both in their shoulders. "Pause the movie, Alex. It's time to eat." He turned to his guest. "Are you staying, Locus?"

As Alex took the remote and paused the movie, Locus stood and answered, "Yes, if that's okay with you." When he received a shrug in response, he followed them into the dining room, where three plates of food were sitting.

Alex immediately took a seat at the head of the table, between the two adults - _Must be a good sign, considering he's willing to be near me,_ Locus thought. Felix let out a huff of amusement, ruffling his son's hair before taking a seat and starting to eat.

Locus smiled down at his plate of delicious-looking food, beginning to eat. "This is very good," he said, giving Felix a small smile. He looked over to Alex and loudly whispered, "Your dad has always been a great cook."

Alex nodded, smiling and also eating. After a moment he put his fork down and signed,  _"Dad's food is the best."_ Felix smiled slightly.

Locus, however, smiled wide. "Yes, Dad's food is definitely the best." He pretended not to notice the slight blush that had colored Felix's cheeks.

Alex finished his food rather quickly, but waited for his parents to finish before he got up and put his plate in the sink, scrambling back to the living room.

Felix paused for a moment, crossing his arms; he was still more than a little conflicted. Locus could tell this about him just by looking at his stance. He walked up to him and whispered, "If you're not comfortable having me around, I can leave. If you don't want to see me again, I... I'd understand." His eyes filled with tears. "But no matter what you decide, I want you to know that I'm sorry for what happened, and that I'll always love you."

Felix was quiet for a minute, but let out a soft sigh and suddenly wrapped his arms around the taller, buffer man and resting his head against Locus' shoulder. "I'm still mad at you," he grumbled, "Like... Very mad. But... I missed you."

Locus gently wrapped his arms around Felix, smiling at bit. "I missed you, too." He placed a kiss above Felix's ear and hummed a melody that he knew calmed them both. They swayed back and forth for a moment, neither saying a word until Locus broke the silence.

"I love you."

After a moment, Felix replied, "I love you, too." He sighed, pulling back to press a kiss to Locus' cheek. He playfully grumbled, "You jerk," at the last moment.

Locus sighed and decided to half-play along. "I know I am." He pulled Felix flush against him again, holding him in place. "I'm never leaving you again," he said, "I swear on my life."

"You'd better not, asshole."

Locus chuckled and hugged Felix tightly. "I'll even stay the night, if you want," he quietly offered, "Hell, I'd move in if you want me to."

"... I think I'd be okay with that." Felix smiled a little, relaxing against Locus. God, he'd missed this so much...

The taller smiled widely and kissed the shorter's forehead. "Which would you be okay with? Your answer was pretty vague," he teased.

"You moving in, jerkface." Felix huffed, giving Locus a  _look_. "You're such a cheeky bastard, you know that?"

Locus laughed. "Yeah, I do." With that, he kissed Felix and ran his fingers through the soft, brunette locks. He smiled when he felt Felix kiss back. As they pulled away, he said, "I don't have much to move, so I'll bring the stuff over tomorrow while Alex is in school."

"Alright. Sounds good." A pause filled the room. "Speaking of Alex... We should... Talk to him about this, I guess."

Locus nodded. "I suppose that would be a good idea." He let go of Felix, minus one hand. "Should we now, or...?"

"Might as well," Felix sighed, squeezing Locus' hand. "... Ready when you are."

Locus gave Felix a peck on the lips before squeezing back. "Alright, I'm ready."

Felix smiled a little, tugging Locus along into the living room. When they walked in, Alex looked up for a moment before he paused the movie once again, tilting his head in question. Locus gave Felix a slight nudge, signaling for him to explain. A silent gaze passed a message of understanding between the two: Alex wouldn't be as upset if his "main" father explained the situation.

Felix let go of Locus' hand, sitting next to Alex. "Hey... Sweetie, I...  _We_ , have something to tell you. Locus is your father."

Alex blinked at that, signing something rapidly at his dad with a confused expression.

"Yes, I know, I know what I said when you were little. It's... It's a little complicated, honey. But he's going to move in with us, okay?"

Alex's gaze moved to Locus and a smile grew across his face. He leapt off the couch and raced over to his other father, latching onto his leg and giving a slight giggle. The boy looked up, and sighed four simple words:  _"I love you, Daddy."_

Felix smiled at his son's sudden acceptance, standing back up and pulling Alex into a firm hold before bringing the three of them into a hug, kissing Alex's forehead and Locus' cheek.

Locus smiled once again as his eyes filled with tears. He kissed Felix's cheek before finally saying, "I love you, too, son."

 

 

The next day, Locus called in with another personal day and brought three suitcases and four boxes to the house that he would now share with Felix and Alex. He quickly packed his stuff away and sat on the bed, holding Felix in his arms. He knew that any amount of apologizing would never be enough for him, but Locus could at least try to show his regret for being so foolish. But for now, all that mattered was that he had Felix back and a child he loved with all his heart.

Felix had taken Alex to school earlier that morning, and the child had been in rather high spirits, excitedly signing the news about his father to his friends. Felix couldn't help but smile, remembering how cheerful Alex had been earlier. With a small sigh he leaned up to kiss Locus' cheek.

 

"I love you."


	2. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years after his parents were reunited, Alex learns the truth of how they became separated.

About five years after Felix and Locus reunited, Alex was in the sixth grade. His class was beginning to learn about the Great War, which interested the rest of the class. For some reason, however, Alex himself was uneasy about the subject. It was odd for him, to be completely honest; usually he loved history. He shrugged off his worries and would take his notes like the good student he was, and ace all of the tests and quizzes he was given.

The next subject they studied, though, involved the more recent war on the plant; the Chorus War. 

At first, Alex hadn't noticed the similarities between the villains and his parents. He never expected that they would be the same people. At least, not until two very-familiar names popped up one day.

“The soldier Felix McScouty was killed in action after a bomb blew up next to him and caused him to fall off the communications tower,” his teacher had said. “His weapon was deactivated upon death.”

_ McScouty… But isn’t that Papa’s name? _

“It is said that his comrade, who went mononymously by the name Locus, did nothing to stop the bomb and disappeared after the incident.”

_ Locus… Dad? _

Why did these odd soldiers share the names of his parents?

 

Alex flung open the door to his house later that afternoon.  _ “Papa,” _ he signed,  _ “What do you know about the Chorus War?” _

He saw a look of terror pass over his father’s face. “Not much, kiddo. Why do you ask?”

_ “We were talking about it in History today, and there was something weird…” _

“O-Oh? Such as what?” He asked nervously.

_ “One of the agents died, and their last name was McScouty. Did your dad go to war in that?” _

“No, Alex. He didn’t. Though McScouty is probably a more common surname than you think.”

Alex frowned, clearly skeptical despite his father’s reassurances. It seemed too coincidental that their names were the same… But his parents wouldn't do things like that. Not to mention, Dad would never hurt Papa! They loved each other!

His thoughts were quickly interrupted when his father walked through the door. “I’m home early today, Fe- Oh, Alex! I forgot you’d be home by now.” The tall man leaned down, hugging Alex and smiling. Alex hugged him back, frowning slightly. Yes… Those bad guys couldn’t be his parents.

When they pulled away, Alex tugged on his father’s sleeve to grab his attention as he signed.  _ “Dad, we learned something strange in History today…” _

His father blinked. “What did you learn? Do you need help understanding homework?”

Alex shook his head, huffing.  _ “We’re learning about the Chorus War. There was a bad guy with Papa’s name!” _

“I-Is that so…”

Okay, there was definitely something up. Dad  _ never _ stuttered.

_ “Did you fight in the war, Dad?” _

“Me? No, I didn’t. I tried to, but I wasn’t in good enough shape to actually fight.” He ruffled Alex’s hair, giving an uneasy smile. “But I’m glad, because I probably would have died, and I’d have never met you.” Alex stuck his tongue out at his father when his hair was ruffled, but smiled before glancing at his mom. Felix seemed a little more skittish than usual, arms crossed and his only seeing eye wide in… Fear? Why was he afraid?

Locus followed Alex’s glance up to Felix’s face. Their eyes met, and Locus turned back to his son. “Now, let’s see what homework I can help you with tonight, little man.” He picked Alex up in one arm, holding him close as they ventured to the dining room table.

That seemed to be the end of the conversation. Felix and Locus avoided the subject of the war for the rest of the night, and Felix seemed to be very tense. Not long after they tucked Alex in, the boy snuck out and poked his head into the living room, making sure he couldn't be seen as he listened in to his parent’s conversation.

“He's going to find out soon, Locs. He's going to know, and he’ll hate us!” Felix whispered, hiding his face in his hands. Locus was hugging the shorter man, running a hand through his hair. 

“It's going to be okay, Lix. He won't hate you… It's debatable when it comes to me, but he won't hate you. He knows you wouldn't hurt him. He has no reason to hate you.”

“But what if-”

“Shhh…” Locus quieted, rocking him from side to side. “It’s going to be alright, Lix. I promise.”

His father sighed. “Whatever you say, Locs.” At that, the two adults moved to their room for the night, leaving Alex to crawl back to his room and curl back up on his bed, thoughts racing. Why did his mother think that he’d hate him? Why did they both shy away from mention of the Chorus War…? Alex sighed quietly into the darkness of his room, hiding his face in a pillow. He had a bad feeling about the future. 

 

The next day, the class was still on the subject of the war. They would be on it for the next week or so, and would probably be doing a project on it. His teacher mentioned something about a soldier that fought in the war coming in later that week to address the class, but Alex barely paid attention, staring at the handout he was given. It talked about the war criminals Felix and Locus, showed pictures of the two men in their armor, fighting the heroes known as the Reds and Blues. 

The armor was familiar, if vaguely… But the height difference was very similar to that of his parents. The Felix on the paper barely reached the Locus’s shoulders, the same as his parents… Yeah. Something was definitely up. 

“Alex. Alexander! Hey!” Alex jumped slightly at the feeling of someone poking him in the side, and glared at his friend. Lavender Washington sat right beside him in this class, and ever since this unit on the war had started, she'd been near insufferable. Both of her fathers were part of the Blue team, and she was very vocal about that fact.

_ “What do you want? I'm reading.” _

“The teacher just said we’re gonna watch a video, Alex! Isn't that cool? I think my dads are in it!”

_ “They're in just about every video, Lavender. What's your point?” _

“So are those douchebags!” Lavender pointed at the picture of Felix and Locus on their handout, her dark brown eyes glittering in excitement. “Maybe it's the final battle! I heard that Uncle Caboose managed to get it on his helmet camera on accident! Isn't this cool?” 

_ “It'd be cooler if you would shut up. The teacher’s glaring at you. You're the only one still talking and she's waiting for you to be quiet so we can start.” _

“... Oh. Shit. Sorry!” 

“Miss Washington, please refrain from using profanity in my class.” The teacher sighed. “Now, before I press play, I'd like everyone to know that this video has notoriously low quality. It's been through a lot, but it's one of the few primary sources we have in video form that shows the Reds and Blues as well as Locus and Felix in it. I don't want to hear any talking, and if I do, we’re not going to allow Lavender’s fathers to come in on Friday.”

There was a collective, complete silence from the class at that threat. Everyone wanted to meet the heroes of the war… Everyone except Alex, anyway. He'd already seen them a few times when he went over to their house to play with Lavender. His fathers never said hello to them, either… Just another strange behavior to add to his observations, he guessed.

The teacher then pressed play, and a wide-shot video of the esteemed Felix McScouty began to play.

_ [“You think you’re smart, Tucker?! You think you’re all better than me?! Well, you’re not! You’re all a bunch of pathetic, stupid losers!” Felix cried.] _

_ Wait a minute…  _ Alex thought, noticing a baby bump on Felix.  _ That man’s pregnant! _

_ [A Blue, dressed in teal armor, appeared behind Felix. “Come get me,” he said - that was definitely Tucker, Lavender’s "papa". _

_ The two of them clashed their swords, before Felix kicked Tucker in the stomach and sent him falling with a groan. Something began to shoot at Felix, and he raised his holographic shield from his left arm.] _

_ Just like Papa can with that arm guard… _ Alex recalled.

_ [Felix raised a gun, only to get it shot out of his hand by Donut of the Reds - wasn’t that Kathryn’s papa? “Double-O Donut always gets his man!” He said proudly. _

_ “Locus, I need some- AGH!” Three crystal shards had been shot from Felix’s right - likely from the weapon Simmons, another Red and Brennan’s papa, was holding.] _

_ Papa has three scars on his right shoulder… _

_ [Felix ran toward where Doc, Kathryn’s father, had been located. His AI Fragment, O’Malley, had taken over and knocked Felix to the ground with his gun. Doc then aimed the weapon at Felix, claiming, “I’m the original ‘Bad Boy’” as he did. Suddenly, a blast was shot and sent Felix flying to the position of the wearer - Caboose. _

_ “Hey, Felix!” He said cheerily, still not noticing the baby bump. _

_ Felix grabbed Caboose’s leg and tripped him, grabbing the gun out of his grip. He summoned his shield and proudly stated, “Say good-bye to your stupid Blue moron.” However, when the trigger got pulled, a shower of confetti rained down on Caboose. “What is  _ wrong  _ with you people?!” He groaned. _

_ The AI in the gun croaked out a “Hands off” before whacking Felix in the face.] _

_ That’s not the side Papa’s blind in… But he does have a scar there… _

_ [Now the AI Fragment Epsilon, also known as Church, was talking. “We may be losers, Felix, but we still kicked your ass.” _

_ Caboose had turned around by now as the other Reds and Blues surrounded Felix. He sat up and began to laugh maniacally. “Think again.”] _

_ Wait a minute… Why didn't I realize that sooner?! _ Alex thought, eyes widening.  _ That voice… That man is Papa! _

_ [A soldier in a green and black suit of armor appeared next to Caboose and tossed a gun toward Felix, Alex’s father. “Locus,” Felix asked, “What are you doing? You were supposed to kill them!” _

_ “... No.” A collective question escaped the group’s lips before he continued. “No more killing.” _

_ “What are you talking about? You’re a  _ soldier _ , remember?” _

_ “I’m not a soldier. I’m a monster, like you.”] _

Alex visibly flinched at that.  _ He didn’t even know Papa was expecting me… And called him a monster. _

_ [“Locus,” Felix began, standing up, “We’re  _ partners _. Survivors! We need each other! Wha… What about our orders? Our reward? Becoming the ‘Ultimate Weapon’?” _

_ Locus didn’t hesitate to answer. “I’m not doing this for the reward. I’m not doing this because someone told me to. I’m doing this… For me.” _

_ Felix backed up, looking at the other soldiers and sighing. “... Then you can die with the rest of them,” he muttered, obviously holding back tears as he threw his weapon at his beloved. The three soldiers, however, dove to the ground. Cries of “Hit the deck!” and “Get him!”, as well as the sounds of gunfire and Felix’s shield sounded from out of eyesight. Suddenly, as Caboose stood, a sticky bomb was thrown at Felix’s shield. _

_ “Guess we learned a thing or two from you villains after all,” an old man - Grandpa Sarge - said. _

_ “Hey Felix,” Tucker said, holding an activated grenade, “Catch.” He then rolled the grenade down to where Felix stood, hearing the slow beeps slowly become more frequent. _

_ “W-Wait!” _

_ Boom. _

_ An anguished scream echoed as Felix was thrown off the side of the communications tower and out of sight.] _

The lights in the room turned on as the video ended. The teacher walked to the front of the classroom as opened her mouth to say something, only to close it and stare at Alex. He hadn’t even realized he was crying until his teacher pointed it out.

“Is something the matter, Alex?” She asked.

He placed his head in his hands and continued to silently cry, until he stood up, grabbed his backpack, and ran out of the room. The teacher called out after him - so did Lavender - but he didn't listen. He just kept running, pushing past anyone or anything in his way, barely able to see through his tears. 

He was in the school courtyard when he finally collapsed, curling into a ball next to the door and sobbing. Those were his parents… His parents were the villains. Dad had betrayed Papa and nearly got both of them killed in the process. Did he even care, then or now, that he'd nearly killed them?! 

It was another ten minutes before a faculty member found him and sat beside him, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder, shushing him gently and trying to soothe him with calming words. He could barely hear her through the blood rushing in his ears, the steadily rising panic and anger that was coursing through his body. The woman took him to the office and sat him down in front of the school counselor. The man was older than his fa... Than Locus. He had pure grey hair, and enough wrinkles to make him look more bulldog than human. Any other day, he would've been able to make Alex let out a small noise of amusement, but not today. 

“Alexander, why did you run from your classroom earlier today?” The counselor asked, his shaggy eyebrows drawn close together in an expression of confusion. For a few moments, Alex couldn't respond, staring at the ground. “Alex? Are you alright?”

_ “No,”  _ he signed slowly.  _ “It was… Scary.”  _ It wasn't a complete lie. The video had scared him in more ways than one. 

“Ah, I see. You could've asked your teacher to stop playing it, Alexander. She's there to help you, not make you cry.” The old man smiled slightly, reaching over the desk to pat his shoulder slightly. “Promise me that if you're scared again, you’ll talk to your teacher instead of instigating a school-wide search, please?”

_ “Yes, sir. Sorry.” _ He honestly didn't feel sorry. Once he made his promise, the counselor sent him back to class, much to his chagrin. Everybody stared at him as he walked back in, and his teacher smiled sadly at him, offering him a quiet apology before he sat down. The office must have called her while Alex was walking back.

“Hey, are you okay, dude?” Lavender whispered to him after a mere moment of silence. “Did those douchebags scare you? Don't be scared of them, my dads said that they're both super dead, so they can't get you.” 

_ “You're right. Thank you.”  _ Lavender didn’t know how wrong she truly was.

“Plus, even if they were alive, I'd fight them for you! I bet I could take ‘em! Especially that Felix guy. He seemed too pudgy to be a villain…” 

_ Probably because he was pregnant with me _ , Alex thought. 

 

The rest of the day passed in a blur; Alex barely remembered anything that was said or done in the last two hours of school, his mind focused on his parents. The final bell ringing at the end of the day even caused him to jump, almost bruising his knee on the desk he was sitting at. Lavender gave him a weird look. Normally he was the kid in class most attentive to the time, and never surprised by the bell… Today, he'd let his attention slip. He and Lavender walked out of the class together, gathering with the rest of their little friend group outside as they waited for the buses to start pulling up. Alex looked at them all in turn. 

There was, of course, Lavender, who looked to be the spitting image of one of her fathers, Lavernius Tucker. He wondered, briefly, if they would ever fight like Lavernius did with Felix. Next to her was her brother, a boy a year older than them (and a grade higher) with dark brown hair and David Washington’s dark green eyes. His name was Travis Washington. Alex could imagine them being enemies, rather than himself and Lavender.

Then there was Kathryn, Donut and Doc’s daughter. She looked almost entirely harmless, with a Hello Kitty backpack and glasses that took up at least half of her face, but Alex had seen her get into a fight before when a boy made the mistake of pulling her hair on the playground during recess. That was in the second grade, and there had been multiple other instances like that since, all ending with her both winning the fight and getting off scott-free by charming the teachers and principal. She definitely was a force to be reckoned with. 

Brennan Grif and his younger siblings, Pauahi and Alani, were sitting beside them all. Brennan had his face stuck in a book, his long, dark ginger hair pulled back into a ponytail. Alani and Pauahi, the twins, were a grade below Alex, and seemed to delight in pulling up the ground. Searching for worms, probably.

Leonard Caboose wasn't at school today - he hadn't been for a while. Alex had been told he was sick. He really hoped that Miss Carolina or literally anyone besides his father, Caboose, was taking care of him if that was the case.

Speaking of Carolina, her and Kimball’s daughter was standing a few feet away, playing on her Nintendo DS. Adrianne was her name. She was much older than the others, and as far as Alex knew, she was probably about to pass ninth grade. He honestly didn't talk to her that much. She was… More than a little intimidating. 

“Hey! Chorus to Alex, you alive in there, buddy?” Lavender was snapping her fingers in front of his face, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I'm talking to you!”

_ “It's hard to ignore you. What is it?” _

“Why did you run out of class today? I mean, I kinda know why, but why have you been so weird since then?”

“Alex ran out of class?” Kathryn frowned, adjusting her huge glasses.

“Yeah! We were watching a video from that big face off between all our parents and Felix and Locus, and when it ended he ran out of the room crying!” Alex looked at the ground, clenching his fists to contain himself. Why couldn't Lavender shut up?

“What? Alex! Are you okay? Did they scare you? They scare me too, so it's okay.”

_ “Shut. Up,”  _ Alex signed in reply, his movements choppy and his face drawn into a dark scowl.  _ “Drop it.”  _  The girls turned and looked at each other, sharing a frown. Lavender opened her mouth to speak, and Alex had to physically restrain himself from punching her.

“Lav, leave him alone,” Travis commanded, putting on his best ‘Washington’ voice. “He's clearly upset, so talk about something else.” 

“You're not dad  _ or  _ pops, Travis, you can't tell me what to do!”

“I can't, but I  _ can  _ tell dad that you were harassing Alex about something he felt uncomfortable with. You'd get in trouble.”

“That's no fair! Dad always believes you over me!” Lavender put her hands on her hips, and with that, the siblings began to argue, leaving Alex alone with his thoughts once again, considering that Kathryn was now far more invested in watching their drama than bothering him. 

It was really not an over exaggeration to say he almost cried with joy when the buses finally arrived.


	3. Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex returns home and confronts his parents about what he now knows to be the truth.

Alex shuffled his feet as he walked up to the door of his house. He was not looking forward to entering his home… His mother and father would have heard about his little “incident” and surely be waiting for him. There was only one thought racing through the young boy’s head as he scaled the porch steps.

_ My parents are villains. _

He pushed open the door, only to be greeted by a near-suffocating hug from his father.

“Alex, I was so worried!” He cried, tears filling his eyes. “I didn’t know  _ what _ to think when they said you had run away from your class!” He stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes as Locus approached, placing his hand on Felix’s shoulder.

“What in the world would possess you to do that, kid?”

The boy stayed silent, his shameful gaze changing to a glare as he looked toward his father - the man who’d nearly gotten them killed. He took off his backpack and shoved it into Locus’s empty hand angrily.

“Alex, what’s wrong?” he asked. The near-murderer had the  _ audacity _ to ask what was wrong?!

The child looked away and stormed into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him and prompting worried murmurs from his parents. He flung himself onto his bed, angry tears filling his deep green eyes. When a knock on his door sounded, he furiously wiped away his tears and sat up as his parents entered the room.

“Alex, talk to us, please,” Felix pleaded, pushing his hair out of the way of his seeing eye. The action only made Alex angrier.

“N… No.”

Felix and Locus both blinked, surprised at their son’s speech. He rarely ever talked… There was definitely something bothering him.

“Hon…?” Felix began.

“Criminals. You two are criminals.”

Felix raised a hesitant hand, only to have it pressed down by Locus. The black man looked to his son, determination in his eyes. “Son, you’re talking nonsense.”

“I’m  _ NOT _ !” Alex yelled, his frail voice cracking. “You two are the war criminals we’re learning about in school!” He took a half-torn piece of paper out of the pocket of his pants and unfolded it. There, dressed completely in their suits of armor, were his parents - and from the flinches he received, they knew they were caught.

“Alex, there’s a perfectly good reason-”

“Why didn’t you  _ TELL ME _ ?!” He cried, tears filling his eyes once again. He ripped up the piece of paper, spreading the pieces onto his floor. “Why did you forgive him, Papa?! He betrayed you! He didn’t even know about me!” He then turned to his other father, glaring daggers right through him. “YOU NEARLY  _ KILLED US, _ DAD!”  The heartbroken scream tore up his sore and frail throat as it echoed through the house. He could feel old and yet unhealed scars and scabs crack open and pour fresh blood down into his throat.

Felix took two paces into his son’s bedroom, worried about his son’s health. “Honey, it’s a long story, but first-”

“D-Damn  _ right _ it’s a long story…” Alex coughed. His father hurried to his side and held him close. However, the boy’s wrath wasn’t over yet. He once again turned to his other father and muttered, “To think I said I loved you…

“Go die, Dad.”

A silence enveloped the room, broken only by Alex’s occasional coughs. Locus was frozen in place by the door frame, his eyes wide in disbelief, anger, and sadness. Alex couldn't see Felix’s face, but he could feel his father’s arms shaking around him. It seemed like an agonizingly long time before anyone in the room made a move, and even then, it was Locus, slowly backing away and shuffling out of sight. Alex heard what he could only assume was a choked sob, and felt a sadistic rush of delight course through him. 

_ Good.  _

“Alex, why would you say that?” Felix whispered, his voice strangled with emotions Alex couldn't name. 

“He left us to die, Papa,” the boy croaked, launching into another coughing fit. “He-” Felix placed a finger on his son's mouth, scowling. 

“Don't talk. You probably tore up your vocal cords. Alex, you know you can't speak for long periods of time, just… Just sign. Please,” he whispered harshly, causing Alex to wince and nod. 

_ “He tried to kill us. Why is he still here? Why are you both not in jail?!” _

“He's still here, Alex, because I still love him.” Felix sighed, running a hand down his face. “Even… Even with the tower in mind. Neither of us are in jail because we don't want to be, honey. Do you want us to be in jail? Will that somehow absolve us of the crimes we’ve committed?”

A pause.

_ “No. But you hurt people. Dad hurt us. He's the reason why I have trouble talking, why you're blind, and-” _

“I'm  _ blind _ because Tucker threw a fucking grenade at my face. Locus didn't throw it, though he sure as hell let it happen. Yes, the injuries I gained that day also caused you and… They caused you to get hurt in the womb and be born prematurely.” Felix ran a hand through Alex’s dark hair, his scarred face drawn into a frown. “And I'm not going to deny that I hurt people. In fact? I don't regret doing it. What I do regret is that I didn't stop doing it, that I didn't think of you.”

_ “So it's okay if thousands of people die, but not if I had?”  _

“Yes. I never claimed to be a good person, Alexander, but if it makes you feel better? I haven't killed a single person since that day. I stopped looking for a reason to fight, I've donated money to relief efforts; I at least put forth an effort to put that shit behind me. I'm  _ not  _ a good person, I know I'm a monster. Your father is too. He realized it long before I did, sadly.” His father let out another deep sigh, closing his eyes. “... Do you want us to go to prison?”

_ “Kind of.” _

“Then tell someone. Go ahead. I won't try to refute the statement; I'll give up all the information. I'll testify my own crimes, I'll own up to them.” Felix stood, pulling away from his son. “You can live with Lavender and her parents. They won't treat you any different despite your lineage, and they can keep you hidden from the press and refuse to let you witness your father’s and my own inevitable executions. Does this sound attractive to you?” 

_ “No.” _

“Then apologize to your father.” Felix raised his chin. “He loves you, more than you can imagine, Alex. He's tried for the past five years to make up for everything, just like I've been trying… We love you, and we don't want you to hate either of us. We know it's a lot to ask… Especially with what you know now. But please… Please. Just try.” His father ducked his head, aggressively wiping away the tears that were beginning to spill from his good eye. “... I'm going to find your father,” he managed to choke out after a minute, turning on his heel and leaving the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

 

Alex stared at the empty space, sniffling. He didn't know how to feel. His parents were war criminals -  _ evil people _ \- but… But they were still his parents. They were the people that took him to get ice cream when he aced a test, who laughed at dumb jokes and made dinner like any normal pair of parents did together. He'd never seen them hurt anybody, not in person, not until the class had started researching the war. They should be in jail, for everything they’d done. They'd killed a lot of people, nearly destroyed the planet… But they were still his parents. They were the only family he had, and he didn't want them to be taken away. 

With some hesitance, Alex reached for the phone and began texting someone he never thought he'd reach out to for advice. 

 

**[Alex K.** : Hey, are you eating?]

**[Adrianne C.** : Nope. I'm surprised you're texting me, kid; you rarely talk to me in person.]

**[Alex K.** : Yeah, yeah, I know, but look, I need some advice.]

**[Alex K.** : I also need this to be completely confidential. Just between us.]

**[Adrianne C.** : You have my attention.]

**[Alex K.** : So my parents may have done some bad stuff in the past and I don't know how to react?]

**[Adrianne C.** : Such as?]

**[Adrianne C.** : Our parents were in the military, dude. You're gonna have to be more specific.]

 

Alex sighed, rubbing his temple. 

 

**[Alex K.** : I mean really REALLY bad.]

**[Alex K.** : Like “kill a bunch of people” bad.]

**[Adrianne C.** : Does this have anything to do with you running out of your class earlier today?]

 

Alex froze, his hands shaking a little. How did she know? Did Travis or Brennan tell her? Did she suspect already? Was she-

 

**[Adrianne C.** : Look, kid; I'm not insinuating that your parents are like those assholes. I just wanna know if it's a similar situation and that's why you were upset.]

 

_ Thank god. _

 

**[Alex K.** : I mean... Kinda similar? It's bad. IDK what to think of them now… They weren't exactly good guys.]

**[Adrianne C.** : Neither were my moms at some points in their careers. Momma C leveled a city block once. Momma V committed at least ten acts that could be categorized as terrorism.]

**[Alex K.** : It's not the same.]

**[Adrianne C.** : Look, kid: The way I see it is that all our parents were shitty humans at some point but at least they're not killing people now.]

**[Adrianne C.** : You vaguely asked me for my opinion so here it is: Let it be.]

**[Adrianne C.** : Can't change their pasts, only can change our futures, all that stuff.]

**[Adrianne C.** : If they were really that bad in the past, just strive not to follow in their footsteps, a’ight? I met your parents once and they were OK, so I mean... Whatever they did, they're at least trying to make up for it by raising you to be an upstanding citizen.]

**[Adrianne C.** : I'm gonna assume that you're ignoring me now because you haven't responded in ten minutes so I'm gonna go play more Pokémon. Text you later, kid. I hope you get over your crisis soon.]

 

Alex sighed and threw his phone across the room, hiding his face in his hands. Adrianne didn't know that his parents were  _ Felix and Locus _ . Her mothers were heroes; she didn't have to deal with them being murderers… But… Was she right? Should he let it go…?

It took him a few minutes to realize that yes, he should.

He got up off his bed and crept out to where the hallway met the kitchen. He peered around the corner to see Felix comforting a teary-eyed Locus and whispering sweet words into his ear.

“Locs, hon, it’ll be okay. He… He’ll calm down and then we all can talk rationally-”

“He hates me, Lix. He hates my existence because I didn’t know - because I didn’t stop them.” His father sighed, tears pouring down his face. “I don’t blame him, though.”

“What… What do you mean by that?”

“I know why he’s angry. Hell, I’m angry at myself. I have been for all this time… Ever since I learned that you were alive, those years ago… I’ve hated myself, more than I already did.”

Felix blinked, confused. “Why did you hate yourself before then?”

Locus took a deep breath. “Because… Because I let you get hurt. I let you ‘die’. I didn’t even know you were alive until I met you and Alex that day…” He hugged Felix close. “And ever since then, I realize I did worse than that. You’ve been suffering. If you’d died, it would have put you out of this misery. Instead, it’s… It's dragged on. For both you  _ and _ Alex.”

“Locs, it's okay. I promise. I’m alive and I have a beautiful baby boy and I have you. And we’re together. Isn’t that what matters?”

“I… I suppose so, but-”

“P-Papa, Dad?”

The two adults pulled away and looked to where their son stood in the kitchen doorway. He was twiddling his thumbs nervously, tears in his eyes.

_ “I’m sorry,” _ he signed.  _ “I’m sorry I said those mean things… I’m sorry I got so angry. I just… I don't want to hear that you are bad people, because I know that’s not true. So I was upset about that… And I took it out on the both of you. And I… I’m so sorry…” _ The boy stood in the doorway, crying, as his hands moved to his face and covered his eyes. His soft whimpers compelled his parents to approach him and pull him into a hug.

“It’s okay, Alex. We know you didn’t mean it,” Felix whispered.

“And we also know that it must have scared you very much when you saw that video,” Locus added softly.

Then, together, they said, “We both know that you love us, no matter what. And we love you just as much.”


End file.
